My goal is to give readers easy-to-implement strategies, templates, and examples to increase higher-order thinking skills and to deepen student understanding. Don’t we all want students to think deeply?
CHAPTER 1
Using Questioning Strategies in the Classroom
There are only so many hours in a day. We have approximately 180 days in the classroom with students, and in an average day, a teacher is likely to spend about five solid hours with students. Clearly, our goal is to make the best use of that time. We want to use practices and strategies that will most benefit our students. We aim to use processes and procedures that increase our ability to get the most effective use from our time and that of our students.
And how do we determine effectiveness? Standards and content are the focus of education in the early 21st century. We use both to identify what is important for our students to learn. Evaluating student progress helps us evaluate those targets important to the lessons we teach and to better understand our students’ performance levels. We evaluate data so that we can best meet all learners’ needs. For example, the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data show little progress and low student achievement (NAEP, n.d.). Reviewing and understanding these components, which we do in this chapter, helps us create a systematic approach to lesson identification and development.
If, as part of that approach, we take time to evaluate the types of questions we ask—even the ways we ask them—we will positively impact students’ levels of understanding and performance. We can create different questioning strategies, as explained in this chapter. We even have the opportunity to develop habits in our students that will transcend the classroom. Our approach to formulating, posing, and responding to questions can increase students’ curiosity, grow their problem-solving skills, escalate engagement levels, and strengthen their ability to persevere.
A Call to Action
Can we influence our students’ academic abilities by being aware of the questions we ask and the way we ask them in the classroom? Evidence in the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, n.d.) definitely shows a need for a boost in U.S. academic performance. The NAEP is a U.S. standardized test that evaluates and reports student progress in a variety of subjects including mathematics and reading. The assessment compares subject-level achievement across states.
The 2015 NAEP results reveal that 40 percent of fourth-grade students are proficient or higher in mathematics. In eighth grade, that number is 33 percent. Reading results show proficiency levels of 36 percent and 34 percent in fourth and eighth grades, respectively. It’s not because teachers aren’t dedicated to boosting academic performance but because those devoted teachers keep searching for strategies that will positively impact student performance. Figure 1.1 shows NAEP results in mathematics, and figure 1.2 shows NAEP results in reading, illustrating how U.S. students have fared over time. The results in both subjects show little variation since 2005.
Source: NAEP, n.d.
Figure 1.1: NAEP results in mathematics over time.
Source: NAEP, n.d.
Figure 1.2: NAEP results in reading over time.
Reviewing the figures shows us that in mathematics and in reading, in fourth grade and in eighth grade, the average national scale scores are well below the established proficiency level. The dotted lines on each chart indicate the proficiency level for each grade level.
If NAEP results are an accurate illustration of the performance level of students in the United States, it seems the data strongly suggest that a call to action is in order. With the highest level of performance at 40 percent, the results are not something that we would be proud of in our own classrooms. Growing these scores to reach or at least be near proficiency requires a change. Although making a significant change in these scores may seem like an insurmountable task, change happens one classroom at a time. Tests results like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) can determine strengths and challenges by subject and country. Fifteen-year-olds take tests in mathematics, science, and reading. In 2012, about 28 million students took the PISA (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, n.d.). Results, at www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results.htm, can be compared. No matter what the assessment, the goal is to learn from the data and act to support student learning.
Teachers care about their students. They put a lot of effort into planning and presenting lessons designed to help students succeed. What do we do when results reflect that less than half, in most cases only a third, of students are proficient? More important, can the questions we ask in the classroom better prepare students to successfully apply knowledge and skills to tasks on standardized tests?
In short: yes. Reviewing multiple sample problems from the NAEP shows that students apply their knowledge and skills to questions. If we equip students to respond primarily to questions that require recall or performance of common tasks, we are certainly providing them with important foundational skills. However, if the level of sophistication stops there, students will not acquire the skills necessary to perform at increased levels of success—not only on standardized tests but in real-life experiences.
My intention is not to highlight increased standardized test performance as our end goal but to concentrate on how the questions teachers use within our classrooms can have a positive impact on student success within and beyond school walls. Standardized tests provide measures of performance and inform schools of their status in comparison to others. However, the purpose of academic measures is to use the information to increase student understanding. Increased understanding will likely result in enhanced performance on standardized tests, but the end goal is to help students achieve higher levels of success. Increased test scores are a byproduct. Interestingly, even though many teachers realize the benefits of infusing higher-order thinking skills into classroom experiences, practices are heavily weighted toward recall questions. Some have noted that since the 1950s, classroom practices associated with questioning types and techniques have changed little (Fisher & Frey, 2007). However, teachers who are trained in ways of creating and implementing a variety of questions are more likely to use them (King, Goodson, & Rohani, n.d.). When the classroom questions asked go beyond recall and provide students with opportunities to think critically, students will have experiences that lead to higher levels of expertise.
Making a Difference With Questioning Strategies
Questioning methods have been studied for centuries. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was known for his ability to pose questions in order to generate meaningful discussions.
More recently, however, John Dewey promoted the importance of deep questioning in his 1910 title, How We Think. Dewey (1910) refers to thinking as a state of doubt leading to investigations that prove or nullify one’s beliefs. In addition, thinking helps us discover the meaning and importance of subject matter. Dewey explains that limiting thought to memorization or recall is contrary to creating an atmosphere where the mind is trained to think and process. He therefore promotes questions that challenge the mind and create situations where thinking occurs at deep and complex levels.
